Chapter 13: Sucking the marrow out of life or life out of the marrow?

A little man named Dr. Reddit arrives in the step down unit with the news that they cannot figure out why his platelets are still so low. He wants us to sign a release to do a bone marrow biopsy.

We sign it and he says he will be back shortly.  They do this bedside.  I have no idea what this entails but I assume it entails a doctor of a respectable age and experience.

But no.  Dr. Reddit returns with a kit. Alone.  He looks like he's eleven years old.  

Our friend, Irene is visiting and hopping all over him about sterility. It's hysterical. 

Finally, he's ready. But are we? 

Having no idea what to expect, they roll john on his side. Unbearable for him to be in that position. He starts the procedure. 

For those of you not in the know, this process is essentially drilling into your hip bone with a corkscrew looking device, to extract bone marrow sample in a really long needle.

John has very hard and dense bones. It took two tries and a shot of dilaudin into the IV to get this done. 

I was holding his hand and never really saw the process. For which I am eternally grateful. 

Irene and Jeannie come back in and we get him settled. Irene leaves. John sleeps through this. 

As I write this chapter two months after it happened, I will never ever forget his screams. Agonizing screams.  I pray this is the last one of these.